1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to camping and hiking equipment, and more particularly to an apparatus for supporting a backpack upright when not worn in order to facilitate removal and replacement of the backpack on a user's back.
2. Description of Related Art
Recall that a typical backpack includes a backpack frame fabricated from aluminum tubing or other lightweight material to provide a strong, rigid, lightweight, and comfortable platform on which the user mounts one or more packs and various other equipment. The combination of the backpack frame and the equipment may weigh fifty pounds or more, and so removal and replacement of the backpack on the user's back can be awkward and somewhat difficult.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,936 discusses that and other aspects of backpacks in describing a backpack support apparatus that facilitates removal and replacement of the backpack. But despite its usefulness, the support apparatus described in that patent fails to resolve certain other problems. For one thing, the spring-loaded telescopic legs may add unacceptable weight, complexity, and cost to the backpack frame, whereas potential user's may have concern for each ounce of weight and prefer rugged, simple, low cost constructions.
In addition, the spring-loaded telescopic legs may require a specially designed backpack frame and not retrofit to the user's favorite backpack frame. Furthermore, the spring-loaded telescopic legs may not adapt to non-tubular backpack frame constructions, nor to backpack frame designs having curved vertical members.
Furthermore, the telescopic legs can be somewhat difficult to store once the user has the backpack on. The user must reach down along the sides of the backpack frame, locate and operate the spring-loaded button locks, and then push the spring-loaded legs upwardly into their storage positions. Beyond those drawbacks, the spring-loaded telescopic legs extend straight down from the backpack, and the straight-down orientation can impair stability. Thus, user's need a way to overcome the above concerns.